Overview

The BDR-XD04 is one of the world's smallest and lightest BD/DVD/CD portable burners supporting BDXL. The ultra-compact clamshell type drive can read and write to all BDXL discs1 including BD-R triple-layer 100GB media, BD-R quad-layer 128GB media, and BD-RE triple layer 100GB media, as well as conventional Blu-ray discs (single-layer 25GB media and dual-layer 50GB media). The portable device, measuring only 5.2" (W) X 0.55" (H) X 5.2" (D) and weighing a mere 8.46 ounces, also has the ability to be powered directly via USB.

The BDR-XD04 is bundled with CyberLink Media Suite 8, which includes PowerDVD™ 10 BD3D, PowerDirector® 9, and Power2Go® 7. PowerDVD 10 BD3D delivers award winning playback software and supports playback of Blu-ray Disc 3D titles. PowerDVD will even convert your 2D video files and DVDs into a 3D experience, and will upscale standard-definition content to high-definition quality. PowerDirector 9 allows you to import your home movies, edit them, and then author them to Blu-ray Disc or DVD, or upload them to social media sites. Power2Go 7 gives you the ability to burn your valuable files to Blu-ray (including triple and quad layer BDXL discs), DVD or CD media. With BDXL support, you can now back up your files with fewer discs than ever before, and since the drive is portable and USB bus powered, all of this can be done virtually anywhere.

The BDR-XD04 can write up to 6x2 on BD-R and BD-R dual-layer (DL) media. One BD-R DL disc can hold the same amount of data as 10 DVDs (single-layer). The drive can write up to 4x on BD-R triple-layer (TL) and quad-layer (QL) media. One QL disc can hold the same amount of data as 27 DVDs (single-layer). The drive is also backward compatible to read and write to most DVD and CD recordable media. Click on the "Specifications" tab to see all supported media formats and the read and write/burn speeds achievable for each format.

The BDR-XD04 also has unique features such as PowerRead™, Auto Quiet mode, and PureRead2+. PowerRead can provide smoother movie playback when a disc has fingerprints or minor surface scratches. Auto Quiet mode intelligently adjusts the disc rotation speed to reduce noise (useful while watching movies or listening to music), and PureRead automatically adjusts the drive parameters to minimize sound glitches during music playback. Auto Quiet mode and PureRead can be configured as well as enabled and disabled with the Pioneer BDR-XD04 Drive Utility. The utility is provided on the CyberLink software disc, but is not automatically installed with the CyberLink software.

Smooth movie playbackScratches, fingerprints and other abnormalities on the surface of a disc can sometimes cause Blu-ray and DVD movie playback to stop. When a PowerRead enabled drive is not able to read through obstructed areas of a disc, it will attempt to quickly move forward to the next available data point, resulting in smoother Blu-ray and DVD movie playback4.

A smarter drivePioneer drives with Auto Quiet mode, monitor how they are being used and will adjust their speed automatically – high speed for data transfer, and low speed for music or movie playback.

A better music experienceScratches and fingerprints on your CDs can cause them to skip. A drive normally makes a calculated guess at the unreadable data and attempts to correct this to match the original music. However this is not 100% accurate. PureRead, when enabled, makes the drive reread the obscured data to extract the original music as accurately as possible5.

Wide blank media supportPioneer strives to have best in class performance over a wide range of media – our drives achieve this for a large variety of BD and DVD media. Refer to the drive’s media support list for all supported media and the write speed that can be achieved.

WARNING- Improper flashing of firmware may result in an inoperable drive. Never remove power to the drive in the middle of updating its firmware. Ensure no disc/media is present in the drive when updating firmware.

DISCLAIMER: The firmware (FW) utilities listed here can cause permanent damage to your device if applied to an incorrect model. Before downloading any firmware updates, verify you are downloading the correct firmware. In no event will Pioneer® Electronics (USA), Inc. be liable for any damages of any kind relating to the firmware Utilities downloadable through this site, including but not limited to, compensatory damages, lost profits, lost data or any from of special, incidental, indirect, consequential or punitive damages of any kind whether based on breach of contract or warranty, negligence, product liability or any other theory of liability. Pioneer Electronics (USA), Inc. disclaims implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose.

Manuals & Brochures

Frequently Asked Questions for the BDR-XD04

1. - Are both USB connectors needed for operation?

Answer: Some computers output less power than others through the USB ports. On some PCs, one USB cable is enough, but to be safe and to avoid write errors, connecting both USB cables is highly recommended. If using only one USB connector, the main USB connector must be used, not the secondary connector (short cable) that is attached to the main connector.

2. - How can I get my disc out of the drive when it’s not powered?

Answer: There is a lever on the bottom of the drive. Moving the lever back will cause the cover to open even when there is no power applied to the drive.

3. - When installing the CyberLink software, why do I get the message "This software can only be installed with a Pioneer device. The setup will abort."?

Answer: The BDR-XD04 must be connected directly to the computer with its 2 USB connectors when installing the CyberLink software. Please ensure the BDR-XD04 is connected and recognized by the operating system and then restart the software installation.

4. - Is connection by USB 2.0 fast enough to watch Blu-ray titles?

Answer: To watch Blu-ray titles, you need to read the Blu-ray Disc at 1x. To watch Blu-ray 3D titles, you need to read the disc at 2x. Connection by USB 2.0 can allow reading of Blu-ray Discs up to 6x, so USB 2.0 is more than enough in most operating environments.

5. - Can I see the files I burned to a BDXL disc on any Blu-ray drive?

Answer: BDXL discs can only be read on BDXL drives.

6. - Can I use the BDR-XD04 with other burning/playback/editing software?

Answer: The BDR-XD04 will work with newer software in a Windows 7, Vista, or XP SP3 environment. In a limited way, it will even work with Mac OS X software. However, as with all current Blu-ray drives, it will not work with playback software that does not support Bus Encryption. Bus Encryption was implemented into playback software in 2011.

7. - If using other software, how can I still use the Pioneer High Speed USB driver?

Answer: The Pioneer USB High Speed Driver will only be installed when the bundled CyberLink software is installed. If using other software, it is recommended to install the bundled CyberLink software first so the Pioneer USB driver is installed. Without the Pioneer USB High Speed Driver, 6x writing on BD-R media may not be possible.

8. - Does the BDR-XD04 work in a Mac OS X environment?

Answer: Although Pioneer does not guarantee operation with Mac OS X, being that the drive is connected through USB, the drive can operate in a Mac OS X environment (tested with Mac OS X 10.6.7). The drive should be able to read and write to Blu-ray, DVD, and CD media but it depends on the Mac OS software (finder/disc utility/etc). Video playback also depends on the Mac OS software. Note that the bundled CyberLink software does not work in the Mac OS X environment. Read and write performance will not be the same in a Mac OS X environment.

9. - Can I use the drive in a vertical orientation?

Answer: No, the drive should only be used in a horizontal (lying down) orientation.

10. - How can I change the PureRead and Auto Quiet Mode settings?

Answer: PureRead and Auto Quiet Mode can be configured as well as enabled and disabled with the Pioneer BDR-XD04 Drive Utility. This utility is provided on the CyberLink software disc. The utility is not automatically installed with the CyberLink software. To start the utility, go to “X:\Pioneer Drive Utilities\BDR-XD04” where “X” is the drive where the Cyberlink software disc is loaded. Ensure that the BDR-XD04 is connected to the computer and then double click on “Pioneer BDR-XD04 Drive Utility.exe”.

11. - I started the Pioneer BDR-XD04 Drive Utility. Why are all the options grayed-out and it says “Target is not found”?

Answer: Ensure that the drive is connected and recognized by the computer before starting the utility. Ensure that the correct utility (BDR-XD04) is used and not the BDR-2207 utility. Connect the drive to the PC with the two USB cables and restart the BDR-XD04 utility.

12. - Can I connect the BDR-XD04 to a PC through a USB hub?

Answer: If the USB hub is powered (AC adapter), the BDR-XD04 may work, however the drive’s read and write speed may be reduced. The BDR-XD04 will not work if the USB hub is not powered.

13. - Why can’t I play Blu-ray titles or high definition copy protected content, but I can play DVDs?

Answer: From January 1, 2012, all playback software is required to disable analog outputs from the PC for high-definition copy protected content. For such content, an HDCP display (monitor/TV) is required and it must be connected to the PC using a digital DVI (DVI-D), HDMI, or DisplayPort cable. The best way to know if a display supports HDCP is if it has HDMI inputs. The next best way is to look at the display's user manual. When playing non-copy-protected high definition video (such as home videos), or copy protected DVDs, the computer’s analog outputs are enabled and non-HDCP display systems will work. Note: This limitation is not applicable to notebook computers with built-in displays, only when using external monitors.

14. - Why won't the CyberLink software work properly in Windows 8?

Answer: If the CyberLink software disc shipped with the drive shows SR: MES110922-03 on the disc label, then a free update from CyberLink is needed for the software to work properly in Windows 8. If the disc label has SR: MES120813-02, then the software already supports Windows 8 and nothing else needs to be done. To download the free update, run the "CyberLink Media Suite" software by either double clicking the icon on your desktop, or single clicking the Media Suite tile. Once Media Suite is running, there will appear a row of icons at the bottom of the window. Above the "Utilities" icon which is second from the right, there is an icon that looks like an up arrow. Click on this arrow. The free update for PowerDVD, Power2Go, and PowerDirector will be displayed as a green plus sign. Click on a plus sign to download the free update. Once you click, a website will be opened. Click on the "Download Free Update" link near the top of the page. When prompted, click on the "Run" button twice to install the update. Once the update is downloaded, click the "Next" button, then "Yes" to accept the agreement, and then click on "Finish". Close the website page, open Media Suite again, click on the up arrow and repeat to update all the software. Note that the update for PowerDirector is large (about 770MB) and will take a while to download and install.

Note that "Free Update" is different from "Upgrade Software". Upgrade software is to upgrade to the lastest CyberLink software at an additional fee. This is not needed for the software to work in Windows 8.

Have additional questions?

Contact Pioneer Technical Support at: 800-872-4159

1Note: Triple and quad layer BDXL discs can only be used in BDXL drives.

26x BD-R and BD-R DL write speed achieved using certain media and only with the Pioneer USB driver installed with the included Cyberlink software.

3For more information on 3D playback system requirements and to download a BD and 3D advisor utility, visit www.cyberlink.com.

4PowerRead is not guaranteed to work with all disc conditions or under all PC environments.

5PureRead2+ is not guaranteed to work with all disc conditions or under all PC environments .

6HDCP (High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection) display device is required only for playback of high-definition copy protected content (for example, a Hollywood Blu-ray title). For such content, the connection between the PC and the display device must be made using a digital DVI, HDMI, or DisplayPort cable.

Pioneer and the Pioneer logo are registered trademarks of Pioneer Corporation.

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AMD and Radeon are trademarks of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.

BLU-RAY DISC and the Blu-ray Disc logo are trademarks of the Blu-ray Disc Association.